Tony’s virginity troubles and the danger of being honest

Sam says:

01:05pm | 27/01/10

If he could speak Mandarin, I’d vote for him!

Bald Eagle says:

01:06pm | 27/01/10

It’s OK for Abbott to “lose” his virginity pre-marriage. But women should keep theirs, because it’s precious, perhaps like Gollum’s ring! Not only does Abbott lose the plot with women through his interpretation of whats right and wrong for women, but his being the mouthpiece for the right wing nut jobs who have taken over the liberal party will ensure he never sits in the seat he covets most.

u says:

01:13pm | 27/01/10

Habitual honesty, eh. Yeah yeah, sure he is.

Look, mate, bother about what he says. Just watch what he does. Far more sensible.

Randal says:

01:14pm | 27/01/10

Abbott’s comments have been taken out of context by the Abbott haters who have been waiting for a slip up and have twisted his words meant to reflect a parents view that he would like his daughters to show respect for themselves and their bodies before giving away their virginity.

This is certainly not a throw back to another age and I believe the vast majority of Father’s with teenage children would completely agree.

That aside the essence of your article is correct and Abbott as Opposition leader needs to steer a course away from discussing moral issues as he is battling a perception that if elected he would impose his “archaic moral” views on the rest of us.

This story should be a lesson for him, when asked questions about religion, sexuality or women, answer carefully say little and if possible decline to answer all together, as he can rest assured that the same questions will not be put to the Prime Minister, and even if they were he would in no way attempt to answer them as they are no win and divisive issues.

nige says:

01:23pm | 27/01/10

seriously get over it you lefty retards. He is speaking from a dads perspective. I hope every other dad out there with teenage daughters has the same concerns about their children’s welfare. Honesty is a rare thing these days.

Super D says:

01:30pm | 27/01/10

I think any politician or commentator who criticises Abbot should be required to reveal their own virginity story and contrast it with Abbotts idealised version.

Gaye Greenway says:

01:31pm | 27/01/10

Thats the problem David, politicians have the choice to answer questions or not. I prefer a politician who isn’t afraid to answer a question, rather than a polly who won’t answer the question because they’re afraid it may affect their popularity. This sort of attack on Abbott seems to be the theme by the looks of it, I think you may have to try harder, his honesty seems to appeal to the voters. What a refreshing change. Did you read Tracey Spicers piece? That was a goody too, don’t forget to refresh yourself with the following comments by the way.

Brett Sprague says:

01:31pm | 27/01/10

This is all hardly an issue. National reporters and journalists will stop asking these questions when they get bored with the result. They enjoy asking them while they are risky, while they have a chance of electoral harm. As soon as they see no more harm can be done they will quickly look for another searching question. I think this is a reflection on the reporters and journalists who are trying to determine exactly where the ‘moral majority sit’. If the answer shores up Abbott, expect them to turn on the Govt.

H of SA says:

01:32pm | 27/01/10

I’m inclined to agree with you Penbo, I doubt many Australians would consider Tony’s view on pre-martial sex a vote changer either way.

James says:

01:40pm | 27/01/10

“Lefty retards” nige?  At least form an argument, rather than just calling people names.  I also hope that every father with any aged daughter would think similarly, but “honesty” and “politics” do not mix well - just look at every prime minister we have ever had, or every single US President since their independence..  The fact that Mr Abbott cannot properly control his brain-mouth filter like any serious leadership contender should is a serious blow to his electability. 

Off topic, I know but the spelling in some posts makes me absolutely sick.  It is “ridiculous”, people, r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s.  If you cannot spell such a simple word, please for everyone’s sake, use Mozilla and enable the spell-check function.  Why is it always conservatives who mis-spell ridiculous?  It is very hard to take a post seriously if it used words like “retards” and “crap” and if simple words are incorrect.  What are you, high-schoolers?

Anon says:

01:42pm | 27/01/10

Both men and women should have sex when they decide to. Whether their decision be based on their holy text or a personal belief or the fact that they choose to get drunk and do it at a party with someone that they’ve known for all of 20 minutes, it is their choice.

Gender is irrelevant - I’m male, my first time was important to me not because of any mystical sky daddy or any one else but because of what it meant to me. For many it is no more significant than their first time driving a car or their first legal alcoholic drink, and marginally less significant than their 18th or 21st birthday party.

I’ve been married a few years now and I’m not certain that I did the right thing. I’m not saying I should have had sex earlier nor that I chose the wrong person or that I in any way regret my choice. But my reasons for doing so are now coloured by my increased cynicism - my reasons for doing so related to trust, honour, loyalty, respect, sacrifice, devotion, commitment and ultimately the sealing of a life long promise.

I still hold those ideals but I am not sure that they have their full benefit if the other person does not share the same view or is less committed to their professed belief. I’ve learned that despite my partner saying that they shared those beliefs, their actions some years later have proven the lie of those words.

Even if it is vitally important to you, you can’t trust the word of the person that asserts that it is equally important to them. You quickly learn that the only measure that you ever have of any person is their behaviour. Their actions betray the lie of their words.

Since being married, I’ve learned that my partner has “changed their mind” about many things (i.e have broken their promise). Despite everything that my first experience meant to me (and my partner claimed it meant to her) I’ve gained none of the things that were promised each other in that moment and it certainly didn’t ensure our commitment to our promises.

My demonstration of my trust, honour, loyalty, respect, sacrifice, devotion, commitment and my belief in “one person for life, to the exclusion of all others” has been thrown back in my face and now I have nothing to show for it. I wasted it after all and, insofar as it relates to relationships, I consider my life to be over - I gave the thing that I consider to be the most valuable thing in my life and I can never give it again.

But to the point at hand - Who would have thought it a self reporting religious person who has betrayed their faith when it was convenient. Wow. Knock me down with a feather… Did any one ever stop and think this self reporting of faith is a load of rubbish? It is a persons behaviour that indicates their faith rather than the words that spew forth from their mouth. Why do we pay heed to such self reporting - it is the actions that show a persons true values.

Consider this, if a person is willing to break their promise to the person they considers to be the ultimate “judge” of all things, what possible issue could they have with breaking a promise to the electorate?

Steve of Cornubia says:

01:44pm | 27/01/10

I hope Abbott continues doing what got him elected to the Liberal leadership, i.e. speaking his mind and being pragmatic. Even if this ultimately loses the election for him, which will depend on how the media decide to portray him (not looking good so far), I appreciate his honesty and wish more pollies had the guts to tell us what they REALLY think.

In this respect at least, Abbott and Rudd couldn’t be more different.

TC says:

01:45pm | 27/01/10

Something is seriously wrong when the people of Australia see honesty as a weakness in a potential leader. Im not trying to pump for a particular party but are we really that conditioned to the nebish and liars that we admire them?

Abbott may not be the bloke everyone loves and we dont have to agree with him at all but at least you know where he’s coming from.

On the other hand we have a guy who the public apparently loves but who is so devoid of a position or philosophy on anything and everything he is one big shade of grey. He stands for nothing, has no persona and whose opinions stem from everywhere except his own heart and head.

I dont get it

Megan says:

01:46pm | 27/01/10

David is this some sort of game you guys are playing? If your trying to discredit Abbott, you guys seem to be having the opposite effect. Julia Gillard has made a fool of herself by saying he is lecturing women about virginity. she is lying and everyone knows that.(have a look around at the blogs) He was answering a question about his own kids. And wether he should as a future leader of the country answer these sort of questions, well that’s up to him. I personally like the fact he can answer these questions openly and honestly. But if he didn’t I wouldn’t have a problem with that either. Let him answer what ever questions he like. He obviously isn’t obsessed with his popularity.

Tim says:

01:52pm | 27/01/10

Hilarious James.
You condemn Nige for using “Lefty retards”, then make a complete generalisation that conservatives are the only people that mis-spell ridiculous.

formersnag says:

01:54pm | 27/01/10

its amazing how horrible “good old fashioned honesty” is, to the supporters of green/labour politics.

Joe says:

01:59pm | 27/01/10

Thanks Tony for being honest and real and saying what you did. I’ll be telling my daughters exactly the same thing when they are old enough

Andy says:

01:59pm | 27/01/10

Dave - what blog sites are you reading? maybe I’m on a different internet to you. The blogs i’ve seen don’t support your view at all. Oh well I’ll see if I can find your internet and get back to you mate.

Darren says:

02:04pm | 27/01/10

It’s been interesting to watch the feminist movement go on the attack over Abbott’s innocuous remarks. Their hyperbole over women’s rights was not as evident—or even non-existent—after Rudd went to a strip club. Back then Rudd was quietly excused by the Eva Cox et al, all the same rent-a- quote feminists, who have worked themselves up in a lather today at something a Liberal MP has had to say.

Of course asking your daughters to possibly think about abstinence is SO MUCH WORSE than stripping—an activity the same activists used to once refer to as the disgraceful objectification of women.

I think you are right in pointing out that all the attackers are just jumped up activists who would use any excuse to go after Tony . What’s interesting is that their political leanings are more important to them then the cause they puport to represent

PatC says:

02:05pm | 27/01/10

It’s good to see someone honestly saying what the feel, especially in politics when every statement is normally put through the “how many votes will this get me” filter.
Even though I don’t agree with his statements about staying celibate until marriage, I certainly don’t have an issue with him as a father wanting the best for his kids.
I’m more concerned about the fathers who don’t care where their kids are or what they are up to.

null says:

02:07pm | 27/01/10

Wow, answer a direct question and you have to deal with people talking crap about what you meant/intended/had on your agenda.  I suffered listening to FM Breakfast team (106.9 - I’m looking at you) espousing how dare he tell other how they should behave.  He didn’t.  He answered a question about what advice he would give his daughters.  THe same sort of fuzzy familly question every pollie gets in the WW.  Difference is the “commentators” don’t usually smell an opportunity to have a rant that suits their own opinions.  Hopefully the media fluff backfires and more people ask “Is that a fair sort of guidance to give your teenage daughter"rather than “How would I react if he bowled into my lounge room on a Friday night and offered this up as free advice?”

Zeta says:

02:11pm | 27/01/10

The Punch is excellent today, or maybe I’m just so bored I keep commenting on everything anyway. Whatever. Penbo, everyone is missing the point with the Abbott remarks, except, obviously, me. Allow me to enlighten the masses.

It’s not about virginity, it’s not about his Catholicism, or his on-again-off-again bastard child. There is a very big elephent in the Tabbott room that no one is raising, so I’ll raise it in capital letters, and use some invective to highlight it:

WTF WAS ABBOTT DOING TALKING TO WOMEN’S WEEKLY?!?!!!!1111one?

Survival in capital-P Politics is about risk management. You take calculated risks, and you minimise blowback from unneccesary risks. When The Australian, or the Daily Telegraph, or The Age calls Tabs, he and his staff take a calculated risk based on all the facts. You take a risk that Glen Milne has a brain snap while writing up the story and calls you a serial killer while he’s huffing Neurophen, but you know major newspapers have a hoarde of sub editors and backbenchers to wipe the blood of Milne’s copy and clean it up for public consumption. You know when the Fairfax press calls you’re taking a calculated risk that they might twist your side of the story around to make it sound like you’re a climate change / holocaust denier, and you know they’ll probably use a file photo of you picking your nose and flicking it at a disabled child, but you also know nobody reads it. You know when Alan Jones calls, he might end up screeching at you with his angry NRL coach voice because you don’t support free Mercedes Benz’s for everyone’s Nan and mandatory life sentences for spitting, but you know sometimes he might do that ‘mmhm, mmhm’ voice and pretty much have phone sex with you and your big sexy conservative cranium.

These risks are taken because of the pay offs, namely the numbers. Politicians don’t talk to journalists because they like them. It’s not fun for them to sit down and have a chat for someone who makes a living out of knifing you. It’s to reach out and touch someone. Nationwide relevancy from The Oz. 1.1 million Sydney siders read the DT. 900,000 listening to morning Jones before 9. The numbers don’t lie, and they’re worth the risk. You connect with an audience that remembers and reflects on your message.

Which makes the decision to do a AWW interview all the more staggering.

This is the real failure. This is what we should be hammering him for. Magazines are dead. I’m sad about it too, I liked The Bulletin, and I already worry I’ve wasted another year’s Economist subscription. Magazines aren’t just dieing a nice, palative care death either. They’re going thrashing wildly trying to take everyone down with them. A simple risk assessment of a potential AWW interview has NO written all over it in big trashy tabloid letters. Diminished readership, supposed ‘journalists’ who don’t give a shit and will probably misquote you, I mean, the political affairs reporters in the mainstreams aren’t exactly saints, but they all pray for a Walkley or a News Award and that’s what keeps them honest. The staff at the Women’s Weekly are praying they get comped a few more boxes of Terry White diet shake formula because the more their pay gets cut that’s what they’re living off. If the interview had have gone well, without any inflamatory bollocks, no one would have cared, but if it went badly, the news would be everywhere.

Any Liberal hack worth their membership to Opus Dei should have been able to tell Tabs that there were better ways to connect with the Women’s Weekly audience than ACTUALLY BEING IN the Women’s Weekly. I hear that demographic responds well to sky writing, bus advertisements featuring Michael Buble, and free cupcakes. Some direct mail and a photo of Tabs with Buble and Alan Jones would have been cheaper, and avoided this virginity comment problem. No foresight. Poor form. Deserves everything he gets. If I were his Chief of Staff, I’d be saying ‘This is why we can’t have nice things’ and locking my self in the office with a bottle of scotch until he gets his head right.

To everyone who says ‘oh but Zeta, we love Tabsy because he’s honest’, you’re kidding yourselves. Good politicians aren’t honest. Good politicians know when and how to conceal their insanity so they can get elected, and do right by their constituents. Tabs isn’t getting himself elected by saying women should wait for marriage before giving up the goods in any context. Simple risk assessment. Look at the numbers of women who have sex before marriage. That’s the demographic you risk losing. Say no, tell AWW you’re having your chest waxed that day, get on with the job.

God it’s so depressing.

Steve of Cornubia says:

02:16pm | 27/01/10

@William 01:56pm

Perhaps the fact that Tony Abbott DOESN’T HAVE ANY SONS and was specifically asked about HIS DAUGHTERS would explain why he didn’t include sons?

Now, having established that Womens Weekly (being a magazine read by women) was interested in Abbott’s views on his daughters, perhaps we can see a tiny, tiny hint as to why other fathers of daughters have chosen to comment.

Still too hard?

farmer john says:

06:40pm | 27/01/10

doesnt have any sons that he or we know about….

i heard he was quite the ladies man in his younger days, saturday nights he was always out sowing his wild oats, sunday mornings he was in church, praying for a crop failure..

Narelle says:

02:16pm | 27/01/10

“Tony’s virginity troubles and the danger of being honest”
OMG Don’t seem to able to attack Tony for being dishonest, so lets attack him for being honest. Easier to discredit Turnbull wasn’t it David. It’s fun watching you and your mate Spicer trying to discredit him, doesn’t look like your having much luck. Might be time to jump ships and start attacking Rudd instead. Whats wrong with a possible leader answering honestly to these sort of questions anyway? Do you write the rules Penbo?

iansand says:

02:22pm | 27/01/10

I’m no fan of Abbott’s but what he said is exactly the advice I intend to give my daughter should the issue arise.  Do not give away your virginity lightly.  Make sure it is a considered choice at a time you choose and with someone who respects you.

What advice should he have given?  Do it behind the bike shed as soon as possible with all comers?

Sally says:

02:32pm | 27/01/10

I like that he answered his question honestly. I like that he has an opinion for that matter.

His answer would be the same as a lot of good dads out there. Why wouldn’t he want his children to take the issue of sex seriously? He made no reference to religion or the like in his statements. Imagine what the fuss would be if he told the women of Australia to go give it out freely.

And you know what, the fact that he has openly admitted to not being a good role model makes it that much more endearing. Not thinking about having sex before you do it can clearly get you in a lot of trouble and he knows it. If anything, he’s a bit of an expert on the subject matter.

Get over it.

Jen says:

02:23pm | 27/01/10

OMFG…..he was asked a question about what he would say to HIS daughters, at no time was he referring to the female population as a whole…...he gave a brilliant answer

Geez if I had asked my dad that question he would have told me that he has a shot gun and ain’t afraid to use it.

My boyfriend tells me that when we have girls, he’s sending them, all to a nunnery to keep boys like he was well away unti they are 30. So compared to my old man and my boyfriend Tony Abbott is a saint and a very perceptive and compasionate bloke…..father of the freaking year!

DocBud says:

02:29pm | 27/01/10

In reply to a direct question about what advice he’d give his daughters regarding pre-marital sex you think he should go off on a complete tangent. You’re to use to Rudd ignoring the question that was asked.

“Perhaps Mr Abbott should continue with his traineeship as a Catholic Priest, it seems to be a more appropriate job for him.” Honestly answering the question asked is certainly unpolitician like, I guess because people like you will read into it whatever the hell you like.

H of SA says:

02:30pm | 27/01/10

Zeta, your paragraph starting with the word “Survival” was comedy gold, brought and “in the office” subtle laugh. At home with a cold beer and good company it would have brought the full belly laugh. Thank you!

Castro says:

02:31pm | 27/01/10

James, your attack on the spelling of conservatives would have had more substance if you had more control over your hyphens.  Whilst ‘spell-check’ and ‘high-schoolers are at best debatable, ‘mis-spell’ made you look ‘ridiculous’.

Carl Palmer says:

02:33pm | 27/01/10

Penbo, I agree with your article – TA should be a little more selective about what he comments on. On these matters he doesn’t need to say anything, people pretty much know where he stands. 

I’m surprised Julia opened her mouth – very dumb indeed. No tick from me on this one Julia.

H of SA says:

02:33pm | 27/01/10

Hahaha, imagine the headlines if he had said that….

Margaret says:

02:35pm | 27/01/10

The media and journos are making fools of themselves. Abbott never gave advice to anyone. He answered a question regarding his daughters. You would think he had done an address to the nation on what he wants the young women of Australia to do. Being able to get an insight into his family and values he has for them was his intention. The media and Gillard in particular have deliberately changed that intention to suit there own political agenda’s. Very obvious, and I’m sure it will do Abbott more good than harm to let them run with it. His opposition are looking a little desperate and are struggling to pin him down on something. I don’t have a problem with him answering questions like this it wasn’t a lecture, his views were honest and nothing to be ashamed of. He wasn’t issuing advice to anyone.

James says:

02:43pm | 27/01/10

I see it a lot, is all.  There is a big difference though Tim.  I didn’t call anyone a retard.  And the people I did call high-schoolers, was on the basis of their spelling, not their political views.

DocBud says:

02:45pm | 27/01/10

This was suppose to be a reply to Elizabeth at 01:07 pm.

James says:

02:47pm | 27/01/10

TC,

I called people high-schoolers on the basis that they can not spell.  Nige called people retards on the basis of their political views.  There is the difference.

Castro,

Fair point.  I hang my head in shame.  But at least I form an argument, rather than call people retards, and call their opinions crap.

Sam says:

02:48pm | 27/01/10

To fall short of our principles is nothing new, it puts the hue in human. To have no principles at all to begin with is to be uncivilised. It’s not advice for women or men alone, and it’s not either zero sex before marriage or outright slutness (I’m kakking myself).

There is an analogue spectrum and it is generally more beneficial to withhold rather than give carelessly. At least you’ll retain your genital sensitivity further into your lifetime, rather than become a smooth piece of sandpaper that not even Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie could stimulate (because I really think they might break up one day). You wouldn’t know it, but losing that sensitivity you had as a teenager is the first step down the slippery slope to all sorts of weird fetishes. I don’t like these principles from old skydaddy, I disagreed with them too when I was younger, but it just happens to be good advice if you want it.

Bigboomer says:

02:54pm | 27/01/10

Tony Abbott is such a bore, hes really not worth bothering with. I doubt he will ever be PM..time will tell

Angelina says:

02:55pm | 27/01/10

I think it’s strange that in 2010 you think that possible Leaders of the country or PM’s should only answer certain questions. Why? I like to know as much as I can about the person who is going to get my vote and who I would like to my Prime Minister. Time to move into the 21st century David, this attitude is old hat. Julia Gillards comments were distasteful and desperate, thats what I find out of place. Not Abbott answering questions about his own children. Abbotts a nice change in politics, he gets my vote. Some of you obviously prefer the Rudd persona of acting like he’s “lord muck”, he’s not for me.

Sarah Grogan says:

03:10pm | 27/01/10

But as the alternative prime minister, the danger for Abbott is that any airing of his private views will sound like a generalised public call for the women of Australia to keep themselves nice.
Excuse me? will sound like a generalised public call for women of Australia to keep themselves nice? Only to you journos and Julia obviously. Give Australians a little more credit than that. I’m sure most sane people realise he was answering a question regarding his kids for goddness sake. It’s sensational headlines like yours and on some other news sites that cause that not Abbott you fool. Go and have a drink with Spicer. And what difference does him being the alternative Prime Minister have to do with him answering such questions? Good on him, Rudd should try the same thing. Does anyone know who Rudd really is?

luke says:

03:39pm | 27/01/10

So Tony Abbott’s view on his family is more important to journalists than Rudd failing our nation with his 300 billion dollar debt, border protection, ETS failure, water issues in murray darling etc… its a pity journalists are afraid to question the government, these problems have existed for at least six months. It is a pity they haven’t highlighted Gillard’s deliberate misquote to attack Abbott.

James says:

03:42pm | 27/01/10

John Howard lied all the time, as did Keating, and Hawke, and Fraser.  Honest John was coined by his detractors (not me - I voted for him twice), and was meant to imply that he lied.  It was, in large measure, their lies that kept them in power.  If you think otherwise, all it proves is that you are too partisan to see how politicians are all the same once you scratch the surface.  An honest politician is an oxymoron.  It is not honesty that is the issue, but brain-mouth filter that is the issue.  A politician needs to be careful what they say, lest they say the wrong thing.  Keep in mind they represent our country.  If Mr Abbott could not see how his remarks would be taken, how can we trust him to, say, speak properly to our most important allies?

And no, Docbud, Mozilla does not do punctuation.  Again, I hang my head in shame for undermining my own argument.  In my own defence, my tense error was a typo - the d is next to the s on a keyboard.  And I like hyphens, what else can I say?

Cal says:

03:48pm | 27/01/10

Settle down. He was asked about HIS daughters and said that he hoped they would treat their virginity as a gift. He was honest with his answer, and as a father of two daughters I would probably have answered exactly the same.

Betelnut says:

04:01pm | 27/01/10

@Penbo,  Give Zeta her own column already.  She is by far the funniest writer you have on the Punch.

So Abbott has an issue with “women” voters, gives a “family man” interview with AWW to counter his image issue and once again fails to win over women voters by inserting foot into mouth.

Apart from the clumsy politics, a bit of a non-issue really.  Maybe we should all pitch in to get Tony a new media manager, I am sure Kev has a few he could loan him.

Keep driving everyone, nothing to see here.

DougB says:

04:04pm | 27/01/10

This is all being beaten up by most of the media as usual. “The Drum” on Aunties website (ABC) has a more honest piece in which they quote what Abbot actually said.  He doesn’t even harp on about marriage etc.  It is worth reading to get the actual facts, instead of what the attention grabbers would like you to think.

Patrick says:

04:23pm | 27/01/10

No Nige, Sons don’t get pregnant, but they can certainly get women pregnant. If men are not expected to abstain before marriage, but woman are, then there would be alot of married woman having affairs with younger men out there

Anthony says:

04:45pm | 27/01/10

I think the general public have done more research into what Tony Abbott said than the ABC and TheAge. For a start the average punter would have read what he said before formulating an opinion.

TC says:

04:49pm | 27/01/10

William.
If you want to look at a politician moralising look no further than one K Rudd. Not only telling Australia but all the world what the greatest moral issue of our generation is.

This is in comparison to Abbott’s apparent moralising by answering a question put to him regarding the advice he would give his daughters.

Just who is doing the moralising here??

Brian says:

05:40pm | 27/01/10

If you lived in Asia, you would realise the high esteem JWH was held in and the low esteem your mate Rudd is thought of here. The general concensus is that his attempts at Mandarin is mocking them in some Australian “knockabout way”.

Brad Coward says:

05:46pm | 27/01/10

Penbo….a lefty questioning someone’s honesty and integrity ?  You voted for Rudd in 2007 and you and fellow “journalists” have pushed his wheelbarrow of misinformation and plain BS for him ever since.  You’ll blindly push the barrow through to the next election, and the election after that without so much as blinking once, never questioning or demanding the answers to why so many of the big promises have not been fulfilled.  You would not let any conservative leader get away with the shennanigans that you have permitted of Rudd.  When you are prepared to question everyones honesty…you may then question everyone’s honesty !

Bruce says:

06:46pm | 27/01/10

An “unwelcombe free lecture” eh !!  I wonder what these girls would say to their daughters when asked the question ? But then I forget, we do not want honest answers from our politicians do we !! Just spin.

Matt says:

10:14pm | 27/01/10

Adam, it may be lucky for you that your female friend’s fathers aren’t so tight. Does that make you and your female friends loose? Ever had an unwanted pregnancy or STD?

I wonder what Kevin Rudd told his daughter? Have sex with anyone who’s interested and don’t worry about contraception?

Of course Kevin won’t answer that question because his media spinners won’t let him and it might require honesty which is clearly a foreign concept to Kev (I grew up in a car) Rudd.

samuel says:

05:06am | 28/01/10

about time someone spoke the truth ,tony keep at it beacuse your maintaining main stream in the right path. you will get my vote & silent majority

Maureen Kelly says:

10:12am | 28/01/10

Julai Gillards obviously tried to play the female vote against him thinking female voters will listen to her and fall for her trap. It didn’t work Julia, it backfired darling. I’m pleased to see Australians are waking up to Rudd/Labor and their “holier than thou approach” to win votes. How about your Leader get out there in the public arena and have something to say instead sitting up there on his throne giving statements and speaches acting like the “Untouchable Queen of England.”

fehowarth says:

10:22am | 28/01/10

“Tony’s virginity troubles and the danger of being honest”  Is he being honest or just opinionated?

gubbaboy says:

03:23pm | 28/01/10

I know we can’t expect too much from journalists but surely they are capable of reporting something remotely conected to fact.
Abbott was , if asked, giving his opinion to his daughters on sex not preaching to Australia.

The ACA report and Mr Penberthy show how far jornalism has decended into slander. 

Disgusting.

Julia says:

03:37pm | 28/01/10

I agree with the person who called us Sheeple.

My father said something similar to me - along the lines of men have always been bastards, women are just letting them be bastards to them now.

And if you could hear some of the horror stories of young girls having sex with multiple partners in cars, lifting their dresses to show their Brazillian, swearing so much they make sailors blush and drinking more in a night than most people do in a month, then you’d probably erring to the side of conservative too.

I’m not Catholic. I’m just a 30something mother of one (daughter) who will be saying the same sort thing to her.

Average Joe says:

09:15am | 29/01/10

Abbott’s open honesty (whether or not you agree with his views) will appeal to many former ALP voters turned off by the constant spin and petty politicking from Rudd, Gillard et al.
As a father of 3 girls Abbott’s entitled to express his feelings on this subject when asked…..it wasn’t as if he was making it official opposition policy.

Other than those obvious members of the loony left (who are beyond all hope), the rest of the mob who jumped onto the attack after Abbott’s answers were published need to take a chill-pill and have a lie-down. Maybe you should direct your passionate opinions toward something more worthwhile.

Michael Mlocksmit says:

09:57am | 29/01/10

On why its okay for men to sleep around pre-marriage but not women.

Lets use the analogy of keys and locks.

If you had a key that opened a lot of locks that would be an awesome key. But if on the other hand you had a lock that could be open by many keys that would be a rubbish lock. 

Abbott good call.

Shaun says:

10:31am | 29/01/10

Nice work David.

Lots of people agree with Abbott.

His honesty is refreshing in an era of political

Do you write this stuff yourself or do you get a Liberal party PR man to do it?

paul m says:

01:34pm | 30/01/10

Julia Gillard’s appalling mischaracterisation of a father’s honest and laudable response has helped cost her and Labor my vote - and I am not the only one.

Ajuli says:

11:03am | 03/02/10

There isn’t a father who is interested in their daughter’s well being who would not say the same as what Tony said .My son -in-law says that he isn’t going to let his daughter out till she is 45 ,so get real .I think the opposition wants to look at themselves besides Julia Gillard has no children so how does she know what she would say given the same circumstance.

jayne says:

09:53am | 23/02/10

DarrenWell if i was a political figure and asked in an interview i would of said thats a personal choice and decline the request to comment. im not knocking him, just want to say he should stick to his career views instead of private matters.